Jason Lee, Co-Founder of Grindz

Grindz is an ambitious health supplement startup hailing from Malaysia that is prepared to tackle and shake the fitness and supplement scene in Asia. Conceived by brothers, Jeffrey and Jason Lee, Grindz is one of the few startups encountered by The Asian Entrepreneur that has the most unforeseen but yet natural beginnings. Both brothers were in fact, majoring in Account, Banking & Finance respectively from Monash University and Melbourne University. By assumption, Jason and Jeffrey both appear to be the conventional corporate-finance yuppies that you’d expect to meet at the board room or so you would assume. However, getting into good shape and knowing how nutrition plays an important role in daily life have always been passions that drove the brothers. For example, despite working as an accountant for KMPG post-graduation, Jason worked on personally transforming himself from an overweight 81 kg to a lean 63 kg within 6 months. He also became an ISSA certified Personal Trainer. Whilst, Jeffrey who had also worked on similar personal fitness goals, was personally involved in a project which oversaw the import of health supplements from a US company into Malaysia and Macau. From which Jeffrey got the opportunity to learn about the intricacies nutrition formulation, sourcing and prescription to consumers based on needs. He later also became ISSA certified as sport nutritionist.

The idea came for Grindz really came about to the brothers when they decided to employ the knowledge that they have accumulated pursuing their personal passions for fitness and health to guide and help people to stay healthy in a the right, sustainable and most flexible way. This eventually culminated in the founding of Grindz in 2015 which combines the knowledge of nutrition and personal training from both brothers who were able to achieve their own fitness and health goals despite being busy individuals.

The Asian Entrepreneur has the pleasure of speaking to Jason Lee today about his experiences starting up Grindz in Malaysia and the insights that he learnt as a budding supplements entrepreneur.

How would you describe the essence of Grindz?

Grindz is a lifestyle company that markets and offers the public its high-quality nutritional products and a wealth of fitness information. Grindz motto are “Weight management made easy”.

Could you walk us through the process of starting up Grindz Supplement?

We started from brainstorming of ideas, name, vision, mission and motto which represents our value. Grindz is derrived from Grind whereby we believe that life’s a journey, not a destination. At the end of the day, really, it’s the journey that matters most. Because despite the ebbs and flows, and as trying and tiring the course may be, our ultimate goal in life remains the same, and that’s to achieve an even better tomorrow through the grinding of life.

We then move forward to look for a great creative designer and manufacturer to produce products that appeal to consumers. We work closely with manufacture on formulations and did the entire product tasting on our own before we agree to produce to public. Next, getting approval for the products from Ministry of Health is the most important step in our process of starting up.

Did you encounter any particular difficulties during startup?

We had difficulties when we were registering our products with Biro Pengawalan Farmaseutikal Kebangsaan (BPFK). Due to our young age, the BPFK not only reviewed our application carefully but also questions us on our background to ensure the safety of the approval. We never gave up and managed to overcome this difficulty by showing our passion to improve the health of people and by providing information on how the supplements and the meal plan works together.

How have you been developing Grindz Supplement since startup?

We knew that we need a team to share our ideas, passions and visions. However, to keep the expenses we are not able to recruit a big team to run the business. We believe nowadays people collaborate to achieve a greater result rather than competing with each other. Hence, we gather fitness enthusiast in KL to form Grindz Athlete. They were our brand ambassador in collaboration to help inspire and motivates people in picking up proper nutrition and training to stay healthy. Grindz athlete had been actively sharing the Grindz idea in social media to promote awareness.

Grindz is looking to expand the company in future to target on South East Asia market where obesity is on the rise and we share similar food culture. We will also increase our product range which revolve around lifestyle, health and beauty. We also plan to develop our very own mobile applications with features revolving around lifestyle, health and beauty.

What kind of feedback did you get for Grindz Supplement so far?

Most of the feedback we get from our Client is very positive and do make ourselves proud. I remember some conversation which really make us happy are for example “I still can’t believe I can eat cake and lose weight” and “congratulations to you and your brothers for a marvellous product and the simplest diet to follow”. As for the taste, most of the clients are happy with it and they could drink it every day. These feedbacks motivate us to go further and promoting to more people.

What edge do you have over your competitors?

We focus on 2 factors which are the Price and Unique selling point (USP). Firstly, our price is reasonable for a weight management and detox product as compare to some which the price more than RM1,000 in the market.

Second, our USP is the supplements and meal plan guide that we have provided. Our supplements are having unique blend which has various health benefits and a great taste that appeal to consumers. Our meal plan is designed by Fitness Nutritionist to suit Malaysian based on gender and weight category. We do not believe that 1 formula suits everyone where most competitors have 1 eating diet for everyone disregard gender, age and activity level. Besides than that, our meal plan guide is sustainable and flexible whereby Malaysian could lose weight in a healthy way by choosing the right food and portion when they eat outside in their busy schedule. There is also one day whereby Malaysian could eat anything they want as much as they can to reset the metabolism rate and to be happy throughout the weight loss program.

Lastly, we as Co-Founder are certified and equipped with fitness knowledge. We provide extra consultation for our clients. We also share the right knowledge through our blog in the website.

Have you developed any industry insights that you could share?

Based on National Health and Morbidity Survey of 2015, obese Malaysians make up 17.7 per cent of the population while those who are categorised as overweight make up 30 per cent. The obesity prevalence have increased drastically from 4.4 per cent in 1996 to 14 per cent in 2006. Then it increased to 15.1 per cent in 2011 and continued to increase to 17.7 per cent in 2015. Malaysia is also rated as the highest obesity rate in South East Asia.

Frost & Sullivan research shows that Malaysian healthcare expenditure could rise as high as USD20 billion by 2020 due to the rising incidences of chronic diseases, increasing healthcare costs especially in Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor due to urbanisation, and a weak ringgit. At a market size of close to USD500 billion, the Asia Pacific Healthcare market (consisting of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare technology) represents 30% of global revenues, and is still the fastest growing region globally with a growth rate of 11.5% projected for 2016.

Technavio’s research analyst predicts the health supplement market in Malaysia to grow at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period.

What is the future of the industry?

Based on industry insights, we could foresee that the healthcare industry is growing especially in recent years due to the rise of aging population in Malaysia. We also noted that there are more new fitness centre in Malaysia being open. Malaysian are getting more health conscious.

We would be keep up to date with the latest knowledge on health and fitness industry. Besides, we will be increasing our product range which revolve around health, beauty and lifestyle in near future to keep up with the industry.

Were there anything that disappointed you initially?

Since we started, we were trying to reach out by trial and error. As being one of the first to promote through a fitness team coming from different background but shares the same vision, we weren’t sure which of our content or our features would appeal most to consumers. Thus, we only spread amongst our own social media platforms to our family, friends and peers through word of mouth. We started to worry when some content doesn’t generate sales to us. At first, we followed a few suggestions from consultant however some ideas don’t works for us. Having disappointment is therefore unavoidable in startups when you can’t make sure there is a solid plan for your company.

What do you think about being an entrepreneur in Asia?

Being an entrepreneur in Asia is challenging as Asian usually takes a little while longer to adapt to new innovation being introduced in the market. We are so used to follow the traditional way of living and the knowledge that has been passed down by our parents. We tend to live with social norm as we do not feel comfort when we are different compare to peers. This eventually challenge us mentally and physically. However, things are getting easier as there are more community and groups being formed to support entrepreneurship. For instance MaGIC that has been formed as a platform in Malaysia to support entrepreneurship. Additionally, more young generations are picking up entrepreneurship and we are able to learn from everyone from different background through networking events.

What is your opinion on Asian entrepreneurship vs Western entrepreneurship?

There are cultural differences between Asian entrepreneurship vs Western entrepreneurship. In my opinion, this cultural differences is mainly due to how Asian vs Western being brought up by the family.

Asian parents tend to emphasise on the results rather than the progress itself compare to western. This eventually make Asian entrepreneur having higher fear of failure. They do not dare to try as they are afraid to fail. Whereas western understands that the progress of trying is important rather than focus on it end result.

Asian parents tend to be protective which results in stricter parenting rather than giving the freedom. They do not let their children do anything which they think it will cause harm to the children. The western would let their children to explore and learn from the mistake itself. The western eventually will be greater in entrepreneurship as they will be exploring the opportunity with their passion. Whereas, there are a few jobs traditionally deemed to be ‘successful’ ones to Asian parents: doctor, engineer, lawyer and accountant.

Asian parents generally have an autocratically-inclined way of raising their children, and questioning authority at any time is seen as being disrespectful. Whereas western take a different approach by establishing a friendship with their children. The kids in western do question their parents which eventually builds a questioning mind rather than just follow strictly.

In bottom line, I would think that western entrepreneurship would be greater as they have learn to follow their passion, having questioning mind and willing to try without fear of failure.

What is your definition of success?

Life’s a journey, not destination. Success is to achieve a greater me tomorrow through the constant grinding of life and at the same time enjoying the life journey. Be fearless, have a vision.

In your opinion, what are the keys to entrepreneurial success?

Be passionate. There’s a saying where do what you passionate about will lead you to success. However, in our thinking, we believe that being entrepreneur must be more than that. We must be passionate with business and the idea itself. Idea is the lead to create the product or services. But passionate with business is the one which drives the long term success. As Mark Cuban once said, “Follow the green, not the dream.” If your dream startup won’t make you any money, you may need to change your focus

Be flexible but persistent. Every entrepreneur has to be flexible, continually learning and adapt to new knowledge. We have to learn to change our strategy at the right time when we face difficulties. At the same time, we have to remain devoted to the cause and mission of our company. Consistency shows value of whatever we are after and eventually it will leads to success.

Be open-minded but trust your gut. We should always empty our cup when we meet anybody. There is always something to learn from someone. Always seek for advice and listen to others opinion. However, there is no right and wrong, black and white to an answer. Digest the advice and opinion, trust your gut and make a decision to move on. Be responsible to the consequences for the decision has made.

Having a great team. No individual can be good at everything and we have limited of time per day. Everyone needs people around them who have complementary skill sets. Build a team of colleagues, suppliers, friends and mentors who able to support you throughout the entrepreneurship.

Having a plan and enjoy the journey. Planning help us concentrate on our goals, keep finances and progress on track and help us understand our deviations or failure. However, there is no perfect plan in the world, action speaks louder than words. Plan well and execute it, solve the problem when it arise. The road to success is a long one, do enjoy the journey while we are trying to reach our destination.

Any parting words of wisdom for entrepreneurs out there from your personal experience?

Dream is just a dream, make your move on the dream. Surround yourself with greater people and you will see miracle. Do not stay in comfort zone as comfort zone doesn’t make you a greater man.

Frank Meehan, Co-Founder & CEO of SmartUp.io

Frank Meehan, co-founder and CEO of SmartUp.io is making learning faster, in our rapidly changing world.

What’s your story?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of SmartUp.io. In addition, I’m a partner at SparkLabs VC and Accelerator Group (www.sparklabsgroup.com) and blockchain fund, SparkChain Capital.
I grew up in Sydney, Australia and my first job was as a software coder and troubleshooter for Ericsson Mobile. Since then, I’ve lived in Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong and London, where I am currently, with my family.
I’m focused on delivering an excellent product and experience to our SmartUp customers and I’m interested in making learning faster and more efficient in this rapidly changing world. I’m also passionate about saving our oceans.

What excites you most about your industry?
Globally, the corporate learning and development market is worth US$320 billion, and there is a perfect storm of disruption coming in, for learning management systems.

What’s your connection to Asia?
I’ve worked in Asia since 1998. First, I worked for Ericsson in Southeast Asia and then Hutchison Whampoa, before co-founding the SparkLabs Venture and Accelerator Group.
When I co-founded SmartUp.io, I focused the business on Asia Pacific, because it’s the centre of innovation in the corporate world and it’s driven by millennial workforces wanting effective microlearning.

Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Singapore, by a long shot! It’s great for business, it’s innovative, efficient, multicultural and well-connected to the world. The government is also very focused on up-skilling the population in AI, robotics, data and tech.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Always hire people you would like to work for.

Who inspires you?
My 11-year-old son, my wife and my SmartUp team.

What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
Each year, Coca-Cola makes 110 billion plastic bottles, that’s around 20% of all plastic bottles per annum. So, I started an online petition with some friends and convinced people to use biodegradable bottles instead.
A few weeks and many signatures later, Coca-Cola announced they were speeding up their move to biodegradable bottles. I’m not sure if the management saw our petition, but it’s nice to think we might have contributed to that move, even in a small way.

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would have bought more real estate. I would have focussed more on family and friends.

How do you unwind?
I like to unwind with my son, making cool stuff with him or just doing things together. It’s the best!

Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
This is a tough one to answer because I love so many different places in Asia.

Everyone in business should read this book:
Only The Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove.

Shameless plug for your business:
Our clients are constantly marvelling at how SmartUp has transformed learning for their employees and organisations, and how we have made learning so easy and so addictive.

How can people connect with you?
E-mail me at [email protected], drop a note to my LinkedIn profile, or tweet me.
I usually keep Facebook for close friends and family, but there are loads of other ways to contact me.

This interview is part of the ‘Callum Connect’ series of more than 500 interviews

Callum Laing is an entrepreneur and investor based in Singapore. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is now a Partner at Unity-Group Private Equity and Co-Founder of The Marketing Group PLC. He is the author two best selling books ‘Progressive Partnerships’ and ‘Agglomerate’.

Val Senan, Founder of The Finest Man

Val Senan started the Finest Man, to help men find the girl of his dreams whilst still being true to himself.

What’s your story?
I was a regular all round nice guy who just couldn’t find love. I became frustrated because I was always being rejected and ‘friend zoned.’ I discovered a secret community of men known as ‘pick up artists.’ With their help, I was able to easily attract and seduce any woman I desired. But, after 2 years of seducing women it left me feeling cold and empty on the inside. I began a personal journey to rediscover and heal myself from the poison of being a pick up artist. Fast forward 10 years and here I am helping guys to not make the same mistakes I did.

What excites you most about your industry?
I think it’s when I see how ordinary lives are turned around overnight. It’s like a magical transformation of sorts. One moment I see a guy who’s clueless, frustrated and jaded with his dating life and after helping him out, he is happily attached to the girl of his dreams, with plans to marry her one day! That is what excites and inspires me to do what I do.

What’s your connection to Asia?
I’ve grown up and lived in Singapore all my life. I’ve been around Southeast Asia as well and I see it as home now.

Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Business wise, I’d say Singapore. Mainly because I’ve successfully been able to run a couple of businesses here. Also, the very efficient systems help, as does the Singapore government, which supports and protects local business owners.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Don’t be afraid of failure, instead embrace it, fail often and fail quick because that’s the fastest way to succeed.

Who inspires you?
A lot of the entrepreneurs who started with almost nothing and then worked their way up to create massive empires for themselves. People like Vishen Lakhiani, Richard Branson, Daymond John and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are a few who inspire me.
The one person who really ignites a fire within me and inspires me is my uncle. He had close to nothing when he started out, but he has created an empire in Southeast Asia. Seeing his transformation in person, has filled me with hope and inspiration.

What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
An emotionally charged and engaging way to present an idea to someone. It’s basically how you tell a story that resonates deeply with the person which then inspires them to take some kind of action. I knew stories were powerful, I just didn’t know how powerful until I learnt to use them in my own business and daily life.

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Find the right kind of mentors early on. When I first started, I wasted a lot of time and money on the wrong mentors. Yes I got results, but they were very short lived. There was no concrete plan and the support given was close to non existent. I figured out a lot of things on my own. So yes, if given a chance I’d get the right mentor early on.

How do you unwind?
I’m quite the sweet tooth so I’m always trying out new desserts during my “cheat days.” When I’m not indulging however, I’m honing my skills as a pro wrestler at Grapple Max Dojo.

Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Wow this simple question is a tough one! Most of my vacations have always been centred around the city. So I’m not really relaxing but I enjoy being on the go in a different environment.
For relaxation, I’d say it would have to be some of the islands around Malaysia. I love the resorts there. One that comes to mind is Perhentian Island. The crystal, clear waters and laid back lifestyle is really amazing.

Everyone in business should read this book:
Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson. This book helps business owners embrace the digital age and most importantly it shows you how to build a tribe of loyal clients who’d happily acquire your services. What I really like is how simply this book is written. The magic of this book is in the way it’s presented to the readers. Progressive and simple steps which are filled with loads of “ah-ha” moments.

Shameless plug for your business:
I help frustrated and clueless single guys get an overflow of dates with girls who are just their type with my proven method whilst still allowing them to be themselves.

This interview is part of the ‘Callum Connect’ series of more than 500 interviews

Callum Laing is an entrepreneur and investor based in Singapore. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is now a Partner at Unity-Group Private Equity and Co-Founder of The Marketing Group PLC. He is the author two best selling books ‘Progressive Partnerships’ and ‘Agglomerate’.